USF Health was out in force to assist Dr. Oz when he visited Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute July 12 as part of his nationwide tour checking the health of key metropolitan areas, including Tampa Bay. Nearly five dozen USF nursing, medical and public health students, with some residents and faculty, volunteered for “Dr. Oz’s 15-Minute Physical” event. From early morning to afternoon, they helped screen pre-registered Tampa Bay area residents for potential indicators of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, enter data into laptop computers, and explain results.

Mehmet Oz, also known as Dr. Oz, is a Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon, author, and television personality. Starting on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004, Dr. Oz quickly became a leading health expert for a national audience, earning two Emmy Awards for his program, The Dr. Oz Show.

At Florida Hospital, an estimated 1,000 Tampa Bay area residents participated in the free 15-minute screenings, which measured cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as blood pressure, body mass index, waist size and neck circumference. Florida Hospital, a strategic healthcare partner of USF Health, hosted the event along with Practice Fusion, a provider of free web-based electronic health records.

The USF Health volunteers, specifically trained for the 15-Minute Physical screening format, helped participants understand the results and whether they were good, borderline, or required further attention. Dr. Oz’s team is expected to analyze the cumulative results, noting averages, trends and other significant data points that will provide a “report card” on Tampa’s health.

USF nursing student Morgan Schmoll takes a waist measurement.

“It was a great opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills that our students learn in a classroom setting to patients in the community, before they are hospitalized in an acute care setting,” said Cheryl Zambroski, PhD, assistant dean of undergraduate studies at the USF College of Nursing. “These activities help reinforce the critical need for prevention and screening to promote health in the community.”

“We greatly appreciate all of our volunteers for this collaborative service event between USF Health and Florida Hospital Tampa,” said Ellen Kent, coordinator for the USF Health Service Corps, which spearheaded the volunteer effort. “It is wonderful to see that we have had such a positive response and we thank our community partners at Florida Hospital for inviting us to participate in this amazing event!”